baseballfandomcom-20200222-history
October 16
1900s-1920s *1909 - The Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series as rookie pitcher Babe Adams registered his third victory of the Series by beating the Detroit Tigers 8–0 in Game Seven *1910 - Ban Johnson, American League president, declares Tigers' outfielder Ty Cobb the league's batting champ after questioning Nap Lajoie's "suspicious" eight-hit performance in a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns. *1911 - In the World Series, pitchers Rube Marquard of the New York Giants and Philadelphia Athletics Eddie Plank are in command of a 1–1 game when Philadelphia’s Eddie Collins hits a RBI double in the sixth inning and Frank Baker bats a home run for a 3–1 victory. The Series is even after two games. *1912 - Fred Snodgrass dropped a fly ball in the 10th inning that helped the Boston Red Sox score two runs and take the World Series from the New York Giants. *1917 - The day after the World Series ends, the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox play an exbition game for 600 soldiers at Garden City, NY. Chicago win, 6–4. *1921 - In defiance of a Kenesaw Mountain Landis ban on World Series participants playing post-season exhibitions, Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel and Bill Piercy launch a barnstorming tour in Buffalo. Five days later, they cut it short in Scranton. In the meantime Ruth openly challenges Judge Landis to act. The judge does, fining the players their World Series shares ($3,362.26), and suspending them until May 20 of the following season. Judge Landis also outlaws gentleman's agreements and cover-ups of players optioned to the minors without proper paperwork. He declares six players free agents, including Heinie Manush, who will ride a 17-year career .330 batting average into the Hall of Fame in 1964. *1923 - Soon after Babe Ruth receives his World Series winner's share of $6,160.46, insurance agent Harry Heilmann, who beat Ruth for the batting title by 10 points, sells him a $50,000 life insurance policy. Beneficiaries are Mrs. Ruth and adopted daughter Dorothy. *1928 - Mickey Cochrane wins American League MVP honors, edging Heinie Manush by two points. Neither Babe Ruth nor Lou Gehrig is eligible, having won the award before. 1930s-1960s *1936 - Lou Gehrig, who hit .354 with 49 home runs, 167 runs, and 152 RB, is voted American League MVP. *1960 - In the first structural change since 1900, the National League votes to admit Houston and New York into the Senior Circuit. *1962 - With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants hit a hard line drive at second baseman Bobby Richardson for the final out and the New York Yankees won Game Seven, 1–0, for their 20th World Series title. *1969 - The New York Mets won their fourth straight game from the Baltimore Orioles with a 5–3 triumph behind pitcher Jerry Koosman, who throws a five-hitter, to take the World Series in five games. In the third inning, Baltimore takes a 3–0 advantage after home runs by pitcher Dave McNally and outfielder Frank Robinson. After a strong argument by Mets manager Gil Hodges in the bottom of the sixth inning, Cleon Jones is awarded first base when shoe polish on the ball proves he was hit by a pitch as Jones scores on a home run by Donn Clendenon. An inning later, Al Weis ties the game 3–3 with a solo home run, and in the eight, Ron Swoboda's double and two Baltimore errors give New York two more runs and the World Championship. Clendenon is named Series MVP. 1970s *1971 - In the World Series, Brooks Robinson drives in Frank Robinson in the tenth inning of Game Six to give Baltimore a Series-tying 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dave McNally get the victory in relief and Bob Miller is the loser. *1973 - The Oakland Athletics win Game Three of the World Series in 11 innings as Bert Campaneris gets the winning RBI in a 3-2 victory over the Mets. In a private clubhouse meeting, Dick Williams tells A's players he will resign after the Series. *1974 - Pitcher Ken Holtzman, who hadn't batted in the regular season, belts a third-inning home run off Andy Messersmith in Game Four and gets the 5–2 victory. Rollie Fingers holds the Dodgers in relief and Oakland takes a 3-1 Series lead. *1975 - Tony Pérez broke an 0-for-15 slump with two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6–2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game Five of the World Series. *1976 - Pitchers Don Gullett and Pedro Borbon combine on a five-hitter as the Cincinnati Reds win the opening game of the World Series over the Yankees, 5–1. Three hits by Tony Pérez – the first designated hitter in World Series history – and Joe Morgan with a home run supply the offense. *1977 - In the World Series, the Dodgers stay alive with a 10–4 victory in Game Five against the Yankees. Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith hit home runs, and Don Sutton pitches a complete game. *1979 - Pittsburgh Pirates starter John Candelaria and closer Kent Tekulve combine on a 4–0 shutout over the Baltimore Orioles as the Pirates send the World Series to its seventh game. Jim Palmer is the losing pitcher. 1980s *1981 - In Game Three of the NLCS, the Montreal Expos wins 4–1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers behind pitcher Steve Rogers. White's three-run home run is the big blow in the four-run fifth inning. Montreal now leads the Series, 2-games-to-1 *1982 - Four Cardinals pitchers are helpless to stop the Brewers from rallying for a 7–5 win to even the World Series after four games. *1983 - Eddie Murray hit two home runs and Scott McGregor pitched a five-hitter to give the Baltimore Orioles a 5–0 victory, its fourth straight over the Philadelphia Phillies, to give the Orioles the World Series championship in five games. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey, who hit .385 with four doubles and a home run, is named the Series MVP. *1984 - Gene Mauch, who resigned as the California Angels manager after the 1982 season, is hired again. *1985 - Major League Baseball gets its first intrastate World Series since 1974, as the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals win their respective playoff series. Kansas City won the ALCS with a 6–2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game Seven, capping a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. While at Dodger Stadium, Jack Clark hits a dramatic three-run home run off Dodgers Tom Niedenfuer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and first base open, to give the Cardinals a 7–5 victory and a 4-2 Series victory *1988 - Orel Hershiser pitched a three-hit shutout and batted three hits to beat the Oakland Athletics, 6–0. The Dodgers have a shocking 2-0 advantage in the World Series over the heavy favored A's. 1990s *1990 - In Game One of the World Series, Eric Davis becomes the 22nd player in Series history to hit a home run in his first WS at-bat. The Cincinnati Reds go on to rout the Oakland Athletics, 7–0, ending Oakland's 10-game post-season winning streak. *1991 - Behind another brilliant performance by pitcher Steve Avery, the Atlanta Braves win the third 1–0 game-score of the National League Championship Series to force a seventh game in Pittsburgh. Catcher Greg Olson doubles home the only run of the game in the ninth inning, as Ron Gant collects his sixth stolen base of the Series for a new playoff record. *1992 - Groundbreaking ceremonies are held in Denver for Coors Field, the future home of the Colorado Rockies. *1993 - Toronto put the game away with a three-run rally in the seventh inning at the SkyDome in Game One of the World Series, behind home runs by John Olerud and Devon White. Reliever Al Leiter gets the 8–5 victory against the Phillies. *1996 - The Atlanta Braves, behind Greg Maddux, evens the National League Championship Series at three games apiece with a 3–1 victory. *1999: **The New York Mets trip the Atlanta Braves, 3–2, to stay alive in their NLCS. John Olerud has all three New York runs with a solo home run in the sixth inning, and a two-run single off John Rocker in the eighth. Brian Jordan and Ryan Klesko hit back-to-back homers in the eighth for the Braves' two runs. Rick Reed, the Mets starter, shuts out Atlanta over the first seven innings on a single hit. **The Boston Red Sox roll over the Yankees, 13–1, behind a strong pitching of Pedro Martínez. Nomar Garciaparra gets four hits for Boston, while John Valentin get five RBI. Garciaparra, Valentin and Brian Daubach all hit home runs for the Sox. The Yankees now leads the ALCS, 2-games-to-1 2000 *2000 - The Mets defeat the Cardinals, 7–0 behind pitcher Mike Hampton, to win their first pennant since 1986. Hampton takes NLCS MVP honors with his 16 scoreless innings and two victories. Todd Zeile drives in three runs with a bases loaded double for New York. *2001 - Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks stops his postseason losing streak with a 2–0 win over Atlanta in Game One of the NLCS. Johnson allows three hits and strikes out 11. Reggie Sanders and Luis Gonzalez drive home runs for the Diamondbacks. *2003 - The New York Yankees capture their 39th American League pennant beating the Red Sox, 6-5, thanks to Aaron Boone's 11th inning home run off Tim Wakefield at Yankee Stadium. Boone becomes the fifth player to end a post-season series with a homer joining Bill Mazeroski (1960 WS), Chris Chambliss (1976 ALCS, Joe Carter (1993 WS) and Todd Pratt (1999 NLDS). *2005: **Pitcher Brandon Backe allowed one run while striking out seven over 5 2-3 innings and Jason Lane went 2-for-3 with a solo home run to lead Houston to a 2–1 victory over St. Louis in Game Four of the NLCS. Houston can clinch their first World Series appearance with a win in Game Five. **The Chicago White Sox clinched American League pennant with a 6–3 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium. José Contreras became the fourth consecutive White Sox pitcher to throw a complete game, the first time that has happened since the 1956 New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers behind five straight complete games from Whitey Ford, Tom Sturdivant, Don Larsen (who pitched a perfect game), Bob Turley and Johnny Kucks. This is the White Sox's first trip to the World Series since 1959. Births *1879 - Art Devlin, infielder (d. 1948) *1883 - Will Harridge, Hall of Fame executive and pioneer (d. 1971) *1900 - Goose Goslin, Hall of Fame outfielder (d. 1971) *1941 - Tim McCarver, All-Star catcher *1959 - Kevin McReynolds, outfielder *1959 - Brian Harper, catcher *1967 - Josias Manzanillo, pitcher *1981 - Anthony Reyes, pitcher *1992 - Bryce Harper Deaths *1954 - Dave Davenport, pitcher (b. 1890) *1962 - Ray Powell, outfielder (b. 1888) *1962 - Possum Whitted, outfielder (b. 1890) *1968 - Ellis Kinder, pitcher (b. 1914) *1972 - Johnny Rawlings, infielder (b. 1892) *1993 - Jimmie DeShong, pitcher (b. 1909)